New Game +: Chapter 5, New In Town
Masterlist for New Game + available here.
Title: New In Town
Song Link: Oh Julie. No one knows this place quite like you, indeed.
Characters: Silver, N, Looker, Cynthia
Word Count: 2618
Silver woke up because Crobat’s wings were fluttering rather than protecting his eyes from the lights on the airplane. He turned to his left, and saw that it was still night, outside the window; he turned to the right and saw a gaunt woman with long green hair, crying.
“Um,” said Silver. “What’s your problem?”
“I’msorry,” she blurted out, “I’m just... reallystressed.” She pulled a Rubix Cube with a hole in it off of her belt and handed it to Silver. “Would you mind randomizingthisforme? It would help.”
Silver stared at the cube. “What.”
“I’m sorry!” She laughed nervously and twisted the cube, moving individual faces so that the colors were no longer in order. “It’s called a Void Cube, and you solve it kinda like a Rubix Cube but the puzzle is a little harder, and if I randomize it myself my hands will know what I did and I’ll just do the same thing in reverse and that isn’t as fun?” Long, slender fingers cradled the cube. “I mean if it’s too weird I-”
Silver took the cube. “No, it’s fine, just... calm down?” Eevee glared at him from under the seat in front of him. “Please?” He started rotating things, staring at the puzzle to make sure he wasn’t just setting it back up at first, and then eventually looking over at his seat-mate and watching her watch him. She was wearing a long beige skirt with a white and black checked dress shirt, untucked and unbuttoned far enough that her black undershirt showed. She wore jangly gold bracelets on both arms, and didn’t appear to have any Pokéballs on her belt, just the weird cube.
“Do you mind if I talk to your Pokémon while you’re doing that?”
“Pokémon can’t speak. At least, none of mine. You are welcome to say hi though, this is Crobat and Eevee is under the seat.” Eevee chirred and wagged her tail.
“Hi Eevee!” She waved her hand, bracelets jangling as they fell down her wrist. She held eye contact with Eevee for a while, her face shifting sometimes, occasionally smiling, and then she looked awestruck and horrified. “You... oh no. Oh no.” She looked up at Silver. “What’s your name?”
He spoke slowly, not quite sure what was going on. “Silver.”
“Silver, I am so sorry for your losses. My name is Julie.”
Silver looked out the window and watched the lights on the edge of the plane’s wing blink in and out, white and red, the colors of the Pokéball. Maybe Julie had figured out who he was; she was pale enough to be Unovan but that didn’t mean she didn’t read the news. He didn’t know why Eevee would be the thing to trigger her memory - did that mean that somehow the press knew about him and Green? Whatever - but at least she wasn’t asserting it was all his fault like most people did.
“Thanks,” he said, and extended the cube back to her. “I think it’s random now.”
“My dad’s a terrible man too. Did you have the thing where you were never allowed outside and had the sky painted on the ceiling of your room?”
“I don’t like to talk about my dad,” said Silver, and closed his eyes.
“Oh, neither do I!”
He opened one eye a crack. She looked perfectly earnest. “Then why did you...”
“Why are you coming to Unova?” She took the cube out of his hand and started working on solving it, sticking her tongue slightly out of the side of her mouth.
“I was thinking I would go to sleep,” said Silver.
“Oh, that’s fine! I can ask you again when you wake up.” Julie’s hands spun in precise movements as she altered the structure of the cube, stopping every few seconds to make a decision and then making four or five more moves immediately. “It’s not a problem at all if you need to take a nap first! I will still be here. I was just hoping that when you got to Unova you might have some time so that maybe we could get some coffee or something.”
Silver opened his eyes and gripped the armrests tightly. “I’m sorry, I’m not ready for coffee yet.” What the hell is wrong with this woman?
She laughed, looking up from her cube and shaking her head. “I meant when we got off the plane! I think you have to pay for coffee back here anyway.” She spun the cube a few more times, and then lifted it back up, showing off a completed puzzle. “Would you mind randomizing this again before you go to sleep?”
“Sure..” He took the cube and started spinning it, every which way, not even looking at it at all. “Hey, are you Unovan?”
“Yes, why?”
“Is it true that most people don’t walk around with their Pokémon in Unova? Where I come from it used to be gauche not to walk around with your Pokémon, but now people don’t do it anymore and they say it’s the style from Unova. I’ve never been to Unova, so I have no idea, but Eevee doesn’t have a Pokéball and I need to know if that will be a problem.”
Julie bit her lip and looked up at the panel of lights for their set of seats. “Welllll. Maybe ten years ago, there was this big Pokémon Rights movement and a lot of people freed their Pokémon. Then some people started trying to steal the remaining Pokémon, and in some places it actually became illegal to walk around with your Pokémon because they might be construed as weapons. Which if you ask me sort of justifies the whole trying to free Pokémon in the first place. Although I’ve never heard of a Pokémon attacking a person.”
“I’ve seen it,” said Silver, “but the person deserved it.”
Julie looked down at Eevee, who chirped quietly, and Juile covered her mouth with a hand. “Wait, you?”
Silver laughed. “Eevee’s never hurt anyone. Neither has Crobat, except that it’ll bite my ear if it doesn’t like what I’m doing.”
“Why don’t you call her she?”
“You can tell what sex my Crobat is?”
“I just had to ask.” Silver looked over his shoulder at Crobat, perched on the top of the seat, who made a shrugging gesture with its wings.
“I mean, I know that it’s female, but when I first caught it, I always called it it, and when I finally bothered to ask, it bit me on the ear anytime I said she, and so I figured this was what it preferred.” Crazy bat, he thought, What would I do without you?
“Oh my god, you have a transgender Crobat! That is the coolest thing!”
“I... what?”
“You know how someone might be born a boy but decide they’re going to grow up into a woman, or into something else? Crobat decided to grow up into something else. That’s pretty great that it was able to tell you that. You’re really kind to your Pokémon to allow that.”
Silver looked at Crobat again, who as far as he could tell was laughing. “Thanks, I guess. I’ve never met someone like that. A lot of the Pokémon trainers in Kanto and Johto are gay or bi, since it’s a career where you can get away from your parents while you’re crazy young, but no one ever changed sexes. It hadn’t occurred to me to think that Pokémon might want that.”
“You have met someone,” said Julie quietly, and picked up her cube again.
Silver looked at her curiously. She was very tall... Oh. “Oh, sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m flattered, honestly. Most people can tell.”
“I wasn’t paying much attention,” Silver said, and then “That made it worse and not better, didn’t it.”
“A little bit, but I like that you’re honest.” Julie finished the cube and extended it towards Silver, who took it again and started spinning, less aggressively this time.
“It would be rude to ask more questions about that, wouldn’t it.” He looked down at the cube and tried to make all of the squares on each side a different color. Kotone would know what to say in a situation like this. She’d say something compassionate and then she and Julie would both laugh and everything would be better. He realized that there were six colors and eight squares per face and laughed to himself. “Is this random enough?”
She took the cube back. “I dunno, let’s see.” Twist twist turn turn turn flip, pause, turn turn turn twist done. “No.” She tossed it toward him and he caught it and started flipping it again. “And usually it would be rude but we’re stuck on this plane so ask away I guess?”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll ask something else instead. Why were you in Kanto?”
“Oh, uh.” She laughs. “That’s actually worse? But I’ll tell you. I’m kind of on the run. I, uh, have something that a lot of people want, and I’m pretty sure doing nothing with the thing is better than what any of them would do, so I’m just wandering around and hiding from them. But now I’m going back!”
Silver looked at Julie skeptically for a moment, and then his face softened. “You’re serious.”
“Oh, yes.” She leaned in close. “Have you ever heard of Zekrom?”
Silver leaned back, eyes wide. “No way.” Eevee hopped up onto his lap and stared at Julie, who smiled broadly and pointed to the Rubix cube. “You’re telling me...” He looked at it carefully, and saw that there was a clear plastic sphere in the center with a tiny black button painted onto it. “Maybe... we should have that coffee when we land.”
-
As the two of them walked off of the plane, one of the flight attendants, an older woman with a strong jaw, walked out of the plane next to them and leaned over to Silver’s ear. “We need to ditch the broad and get out onto the tarmac,” she whispered in Looker’s voice. “We’re expected.”
Silver slowed his walk but kept facing forward. “We’re not ditching the broad,” he said, “so adjust your plan.” Most of the people getting off of the plane were tourists from Kanto and Johto, although there were some Unovans headed home and a couple of people Silver couldn’t place. They dragged heavy rolling bags behind them, sometimes two at once, while he and Julie each had only a small bag.
“Fine,” said the flight attendant, swiveling on one high heel. Louder: “Oh certainly, I can bring you two back to get your bags, let’s just turn around here.” Silver turned around with Looker, grabbing Julie by the arm and dragging her with them; she held tightly onto Eevee and looked quizzically at Silver, but walked with them against the flow of people leaving the plane. Silver risked a glance over his shoulder and saw a couple of men dressed all in black walking in their direction, pushing through the crowd as well.
“Rockets?” asked Silver, and Looker nodded. The three got back to the entrance of the plane, and Looker started walking down the steps to the tarmac by the plane.
“Your bags are down here,” lied Looker, and Silver followed, dragging along an increasingly confused Julie. “Step lively!” He kicked off his heels and jumped the last few steps to the tarmac, waving to a car that was rapidly approaching. As it pulled up to the gate, Silver first saw that it was a convertible, then that it was bright cherry red, then that the driver was gorgeous, long gray hair trailing behind her as the car pulled up, sunglasses covering most of her face, black fitted jacket showing off just how well she’d aged.
“Hello, Looker,” she said, not stopping the car. “Who’s the hunk?”
“Hello, Cynthia. Thanks for taking my call.” He tapped Silver on the shoulder. “Get in the car,” said Looker, watching as the suits hit the top of the stairs. “Now.”
“There’s only one seat-” Silver looked at the car and then at Julia.
“You can sit on my lap,” said Cynthia, smiling broadly.
“Er.”
“In the car!!”
Julie pushed Silver into the passenger seat and then hopped onto his lap, tossing Eevee onto Cynthia’s lap. “What are we running from?” she asked, and Silver said “Rockets. I think. They might have been something else.”
“Plasma, maybe,” said Cynthia, as she swiveled the car around and started driving down the runway. “They’re working together no- what do you think you are doing, young lady!” Julie turned all the way around and stared at the men in suits, leaning way over the edge of the car to try to get a clear view.
“I might know them! We have to go look!”
Silver grabbed Julie around the waist and squeezed her close to him as Cynthia drove. She’s so light, he thought, lighter than Kotone even though she’s almost a foot taller. Wait, what? He blushed, and she settled down, worrying over her cube, turning it back and forth the same way over and over again.
“Keep a hold of her, the highway could be exciting.” She turned suddenly and blew through an open gate onto an access road, accelerating and taking a turn quickly onto a larger road. “Use the mirror, are we being followed?”
Silver tilted his head to look at the mirror and then moved his head to the other side of Julie to look at the side view mirror, accidentally brushing against her chest. “Er, I’m sorry!”
“Are. We. Being. Followed.”
“No, I don’t think so.” He looked again. “Wait, yes. White van, tinted windows, coming up in the left lane.”
“Does the seat belt fit over both of you? Eevee, secure yourself.” The Pokémon climbed up against Cynthia’s chest, nuzzling up close under the belt, chirring.
Well, she was Green’s, though Silver as he worked the belt over both of them. Hearing the click, Cynthia accelerated well beyond the speed limit, and merged onto the highway, shoulders tense as she made her way into the leftmost lane.
“Status,” she said, slowing down to the 80 or 85 of the car in front of her.
“Still there,” said Silver.
Cynthia nodded, following the car in front of her for a moment, and then took a deep breath. She slammed on the brake pedal, spun the steering wheel all the way to the left, and turned around suddenly across the median - when she was most of the way turned she slammed on the gas again, Julie’s head slamming into Silver’s face as the car jolted forward in the opposite direction on the highway.
“Status.”
Silver looked in the mirrors, and Julie turned around, both of them scanning. “Gone, I think.”
“Didn’t make the turn,” said Julie.
“I am so glad I spent the money on this car!” Cynthia started laughing. “Oh man. Looker told me it was a waste of money. I knew it was the right call. It’s the best bar pickup car, it matches my nail polish, and Team Rocket would need an actual rocket to catch up with me.” She took off her sunglasses and leaned way back, gliding down the freeway. “So! Silver! I haven’t seen you in ages. I wish it weren’t like this. Aside from the car chase, that part is fine. I need more car chases in my life.”
“Silver,” asked Julia, “Who is this woman?”
“Silver,” asked Cynthia, “Who is that woman?”
“It’s not like that!” he said, not sure who he was addressing.
-
Title: New In Town
Song Link: Oh Julie. No one knows this place quite like you, indeed.
Characters: Silver, N, Looker, Cynthia
Word Count: 2618
Silver woke up because Crobat’s wings were fluttering rather than protecting his eyes from the lights on the airplane. He turned to his left, and saw that it was still night, outside the window; he turned to the right and saw a gaunt woman with long green hair, crying.
“Um,” said Silver. “What’s your problem?”
“I’msorry,” she blurted out, “I’m just... reallystressed.” She pulled a Rubix Cube with a hole in it off of her belt and handed it to Silver. “Would you mind randomizingthisforme? It would help.”
Silver stared at the cube. “What.”
“I’m sorry!” She laughed nervously and twisted the cube, moving individual faces so that the colors were no longer in order. “It’s called a Void Cube, and you solve it kinda like a Rubix Cube but the puzzle is a little harder, and if I randomize it myself my hands will know what I did and I’ll just do the same thing in reverse and that isn’t as fun?” Long, slender fingers cradled the cube. “I mean if it’s too weird I-”
Silver took the cube. “No, it’s fine, just... calm down?” Eevee glared at him from under the seat in front of him. “Please?” He started rotating things, staring at the puzzle to make sure he wasn’t just setting it back up at first, and then eventually looking over at his seat-mate and watching her watch him. She was wearing a long beige skirt with a white and black checked dress shirt, untucked and unbuttoned far enough that her black undershirt showed. She wore jangly gold bracelets on both arms, and didn’t appear to have any Pokéballs on her belt, just the weird cube.
“Do you mind if I talk to your Pokémon while you’re doing that?”
“Pokémon can’t speak. At least, none of mine. You are welcome to say hi though, this is Crobat and Eevee is under the seat.” Eevee chirred and wagged her tail.
“Hi Eevee!” She waved her hand, bracelets jangling as they fell down her wrist. She held eye contact with Eevee for a while, her face shifting sometimes, occasionally smiling, and then she looked awestruck and horrified. “You... oh no. Oh no.” She looked up at Silver. “What’s your name?”
He spoke slowly, not quite sure what was going on. “Silver.”
“Silver, I am so sorry for your losses. My name is Julie.”
Silver looked out the window and watched the lights on the edge of the plane’s wing blink in and out, white and red, the colors of the Pokéball. Maybe Julie had figured out who he was; she was pale enough to be Unovan but that didn’t mean she didn’t read the news. He didn’t know why Eevee would be the thing to trigger her memory - did that mean that somehow the press knew about him and Green? Whatever - but at least she wasn’t asserting it was all his fault like most people did.
“Thanks,” he said, and extended the cube back to her. “I think it’s random now.”
“My dad’s a terrible man too. Did you have the thing where you were never allowed outside and had the sky painted on the ceiling of your room?”
“I don’t like to talk about my dad,” said Silver, and closed his eyes.
“Oh, neither do I!”
He opened one eye a crack. She looked perfectly earnest. “Then why did you...”
“Why are you coming to Unova?” She took the cube out of his hand and started working on solving it, sticking her tongue slightly out of the side of her mouth.
“I was thinking I would go to sleep,” said Silver.
“Oh, that’s fine! I can ask you again when you wake up.” Julie’s hands spun in precise movements as she altered the structure of the cube, stopping every few seconds to make a decision and then making four or five more moves immediately. “It’s not a problem at all if you need to take a nap first! I will still be here. I was just hoping that when you got to Unova you might have some time so that maybe we could get some coffee or something.”
Silver opened his eyes and gripped the armrests tightly. “I’m sorry, I’m not ready for coffee yet.” What the hell is wrong with this woman?
She laughed, looking up from her cube and shaking her head. “I meant when we got off the plane! I think you have to pay for coffee back here anyway.” She spun the cube a few more times, and then lifted it back up, showing off a completed puzzle. “Would you mind randomizing this again before you go to sleep?”
“Sure..” He took the cube and started spinning it, every which way, not even looking at it at all. “Hey, are you Unovan?”
“Yes, why?”
“Is it true that most people don’t walk around with their Pokémon in Unova? Where I come from it used to be gauche not to walk around with your Pokémon, but now people don’t do it anymore and they say it’s the style from Unova. I’ve never been to Unova, so I have no idea, but Eevee doesn’t have a Pokéball and I need to know if that will be a problem.”
Julie bit her lip and looked up at the panel of lights for their set of seats. “Welllll. Maybe ten years ago, there was this big Pokémon Rights movement and a lot of people freed their Pokémon. Then some people started trying to steal the remaining Pokémon, and in some places it actually became illegal to walk around with your Pokémon because they might be construed as weapons. Which if you ask me sort of justifies the whole trying to free Pokémon in the first place. Although I’ve never heard of a Pokémon attacking a person.”
“I’ve seen it,” said Silver, “but the person deserved it.”
Julie looked down at Eevee, who chirped quietly, and Juile covered her mouth with a hand. “Wait, you?”
Silver laughed. “Eevee’s never hurt anyone. Neither has Crobat, except that it’ll bite my ear if it doesn’t like what I’m doing.”
“Why don’t you call her she?”
“You can tell what sex my Crobat is?”
“I just had to ask.” Silver looked over his shoulder at Crobat, perched on the top of the seat, who made a shrugging gesture with its wings.
“I mean, I know that it’s female, but when I first caught it, I always called it it, and when I finally bothered to ask, it bit me on the ear anytime I said she, and so I figured this was what it preferred.” Crazy bat, he thought, What would I do without you?
“Oh my god, you have a transgender Crobat! That is the coolest thing!”
“I... what?”
“You know how someone might be born a boy but decide they’re going to grow up into a woman, or into something else? Crobat decided to grow up into something else. That’s pretty great that it was able to tell you that. You’re really kind to your Pokémon to allow that.”
Silver looked at Crobat again, who as far as he could tell was laughing. “Thanks, I guess. I’ve never met someone like that. A lot of the Pokémon trainers in Kanto and Johto are gay or bi, since it’s a career where you can get away from your parents while you’re crazy young, but no one ever changed sexes. It hadn’t occurred to me to think that Pokémon might want that.”
“You have met someone,” said Julie quietly, and picked up her cube again.
Silver looked at her curiously. She was very tall... Oh. “Oh, sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m flattered, honestly. Most people can tell.”
“I wasn’t paying much attention,” Silver said, and then “That made it worse and not better, didn’t it.”
“A little bit, but I like that you’re honest.” Julie finished the cube and extended it towards Silver, who took it again and started spinning, less aggressively this time.
“It would be rude to ask more questions about that, wouldn’t it.” He looked down at the cube and tried to make all of the squares on each side a different color. Kotone would know what to say in a situation like this. She’d say something compassionate and then she and Julie would both laugh and everything would be better. He realized that there were six colors and eight squares per face and laughed to himself. “Is this random enough?”
She took the cube back. “I dunno, let’s see.” Twist twist turn turn turn flip, pause, turn turn turn twist done. “No.” She tossed it toward him and he caught it and started flipping it again. “And usually it would be rude but we’re stuck on this plane so ask away I guess?”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll ask something else instead. Why were you in Kanto?”
“Oh, uh.” She laughs. “That’s actually worse? But I’ll tell you. I’m kind of on the run. I, uh, have something that a lot of people want, and I’m pretty sure doing nothing with the thing is better than what any of them would do, so I’m just wandering around and hiding from them. But now I’m going back!”
Silver looked at Julie skeptically for a moment, and then his face softened. “You’re serious.”
“Oh, yes.” She leaned in close. “Have you ever heard of Zekrom?”
Silver leaned back, eyes wide. “No way.” Eevee hopped up onto his lap and stared at Julie, who smiled broadly and pointed to the Rubix cube. “You’re telling me...” He looked at it carefully, and saw that there was a clear plastic sphere in the center with a tiny black button painted onto it. “Maybe... we should have that coffee when we land.”
-
As the two of them walked off of the plane, one of the flight attendants, an older woman with a strong jaw, walked out of the plane next to them and leaned over to Silver’s ear. “We need to ditch the broad and get out onto the tarmac,” she whispered in Looker’s voice. “We’re expected.”
Silver slowed his walk but kept facing forward. “We’re not ditching the broad,” he said, “so adjust your plan.” Most of the people getting off of the plane were tourists from Kanto and Johto, although there were some Unovans headed home and a couple of people Silver couldn’t place. They dragged heavy rolling bags behind them, sometimes two at once, while he and Julie each had only a small bag.
“Fine,” said the flight attendant, swiveling on one high heel. Louder: “Oh certainly, I can bring you two back to get your bags, let’s just turn around here.” Silver turned around with Looker, grabbing Julie by the arm and dragging her with them; she held tightly onto Eevee and looked quizzically at Silver, but walked with them against the flow of people leaving the plane. Silver risked a glance over his shoulder and saw a couple of men dressed all in black walking in their direction, pushing through the crowd as well.
“Rockets?” asked Silver, and Looker nodded. The three got back to the entrance of the plane, and Looker started walking down the steps to the tarmac by the plane.
“Your bags are down here,” lied Looker, and Silver followed, dragging along an increasingly confused Julie. “Step lively!” He kicked off his heels and jumped the last few steps to the tarmac, waving to a car that was rapidly approaching. As it pulled up to the gate, Silver first saw that it was a convertible, then that it was bright cherry red, then that the driver was gorgeous, long gray hair trailing behind her as the car pulled up, sunglasses covering most of her face, black fitted jacket showing off just how well she’d aged.
“Hello, Looker,” she said, not stopping the car. “Who’s the hunk?”
“Hello, Cynthia. Thanks for taking my call.” He tapped Silver on the shoulder. “Get in the car,” said Looker, watching as the suits hit the top of the stairs. “Now.”
“There’s only one seat-” Silver looked at the car and then at Julia.
“You can sit on my lap,” said Cynthia, smiling broadly.
“Er.”
“In the car!!”
Julie pushed Silver into the passenger seat and then hopped onto his lap, tossing Eevee onto Cynthia’s lap. “What are we running from?” she asked, and Silver said “Rockets. I think. They might have been something else.”
“Plasma, maybe,” said Cynthia, as she swiveled the car around and started driving down the runway. “They’re working together no- what do you think you are doing, young lady!” Julie turned all the way around and stared at the men in suits, leaning way over the edge of the car to try to get a clear view.
“I might know them! We have to go look!”
Silver grabbed Julie around the waist and squeezed her close to him as Cynthia drove. She’s so light, he thought, lighter than Kotone even though she’s almost a foot taller. Wait, what? He blushed, and she settled down, worrying over her cube, turning it back and forth the same way over and over again.
“Keep a hold of her, the highway could be exciting.” She turned suddenly and blew through an open gate onto an access road, accelerating and taking a turn quickly onto a larger road. “Use the mirror, are we being followed?”
Silver tilted his head to look at the mirror and then moved his head to the other side of Julie to look at the side view mirror, accidentally brushing against her chest. “Er, I’m sorry!”
“Are. We. Being. Followed.”
“No, I don’t think so.” He looked again. “Wait, yes. White van, tinted windows, coming up in the left lane.”
“Does the seat belt fit over both of you? Eevee, secure yourself.” The Pokémon climbed up against Cynthia’s chest, nuzzling up close under the belt, chirring.
Well, she was Green’s, though Silver as he worked the belt over both of them. Hearing the click, Cynthia accelerated well beyond the speed limit, and merged onto the highway, shoulders tense as she made her way into the leftmost lane.
“Status,” she said, slowing down to the 80 or 85 of the car in front of her.
“Still there,” said Silver.
Cynthia nodded, following the car in front of her for a moment, and then took a deep breath. She slammed on the brake pedal, spun the steering wheel all the way to the left, and turned around suddenly across the median - when she was most of the way turned she slammed on the gas again, Julie’s head slamming into Silver’s face as the car jolted forward in the opposite direction on the highway.
“Status.”
Silver looked in the mirrors, and Julie turned around, both of them scanning. “Gone, I think.”
“Didn’t make the turn,” said Julie.
“I am so glad I spent the money on this car!” Cynthia started laughing. “Oh man. Looker told me it was a waste of money. I knew it was the right call. It’s the best bar pickup car, it matches my nail polish, and Team Rocket would need an actual rocket to catch up with me.” She took off her sunglasses and leaned way back, gliding down the freeway. “So! Silver! I haven’t seen you in ages. I wish it weren’t like this. Aside from the car chase, that part is fine. I need more car chases in my life.”
“Silver,” asked Julia, “Who is this woman?”
“Silver,” asked Cynthia, “Who is that woman?”
“It’s not like that!” he said, not sure who he was addressing.
-